Surf Fishing North Carolina

Atlantic Menhaden, also known as: Mossbunker, Peanut Bunker, Bunker, Pogy, or Fatback. Whatever you may call it (we’ll call it Bunker, as it is most commonly referred to in the bait and tackle shops on the Outer Banks) – this is a prime choice when tossing bait out into the surf in hopes of catching trophy fish or a yummy dinner from the Outer Banks surf. Red Drum, Bluefish, Striped Bass, Flounder, Sharks, Spanish Mackerel (to name a few) all prey on this common, yet important forage fish. Traveling in large schools, bunker swim the bays, estuaries, inlets, surf and other near shore coastal waters off the Atlantic Coast. In the late summer and early autumn, the juveniles (Peanut Bunker) are leaving their estuary home for the ocean. Game fish feast on these young fish as they migrate along the shore. You can get fresh Bunker during most of the year at the tackle shops on the Outer Banks, as there is a sizable population of these fish in and around the Outer Banks. I usually pick up a few pounds of Bunker, cut the bait into steaks and attach a chunk to a fish finding rig. If I do not immediately cut the bait, I at least gut the fish in order to keep it fresher, longer. It is important to keep your bait fresh. Never let it soak in the melt water of your cooler. Doing so, will strip away the smelly fish oils in the meat and make it less appealing to your quarry. I place my bait in a water tight bag. Then I place this and a frozen bottle of water in a small cooler kept inside a larger cooler full of ice. Along the same line of thought, always replace the bait on your hook every fifteen minutes. Fresh bait is the best bait. If you prefer artificial lures over bait, there are tin squids out there that are designed look specifically like the Peanut Bunker. When the schools of juveniles are close to shore and being busted up by the game fish consult with a local tackle shop for lure recommendations – I make it a point to talk with the crew at Red Drum Tackle Shop in Buxton, NC when I travel to the Outer Banks.